Economist's Book Uncovers "The Conservative Nanny State"

Economist's Book Uncovers "The Conservative Nanny State"

For Immediate Release: May 11, 2006

Contact: Lynn Erskine, 202-293-5380 x115

Washington, DC: In his new book, The Conservative Nanny State: How the Wealthy Use the Government to Stay Rich and Get Richer,
well-known economist Dean Baker debunks the myth that conservatives
favor the market over government intervention. The book examines a
variety of "nanny state" policies that make the rich richer while
leaving most Americans worse off. Baker, co-director of the Center for
Economic and Policy Research, candidly rejects current political
truisms, proposes alternatives, and encourages readers to openly debate
the way forward.

By distributing the book online at no cost, Baker hopes to spark public
debate about the most effective mechanism for supporting the writing
and designing of books and other forms of intellectual work. Paperback
copies are available for a fee that covers printing and shipping costs.

Book Details

The Conservative Nanny State: How the Wealthy Use the Government to Stay Rich and Get Richer
Published by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Washington, DC.
Creative Commons (cc) 2006
ISBN: 978-1-4116-9395-1
Price:

Dean Baker is a macroeconomist and co-director of the Center for
Economic and Policy Research in Washington, DC. He is author of Social Security: The Phony Crisis (with Mark Weisbrot, University of Chicago Press, 1999), co-author of The Benefits of Full Employment (with Jared Bernstein, Economic Policy Institute, 2004), and author of The History of the United States Since 1980 (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2007). He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan. His blog, Beat the Press, provides commentary on economic reporting.

Book Excerpt

"The key flaw in the stance that most progressives have taken on
economic issues is that they have accepted a framing whereby
conservatives are assumed to support market outcomes, while
progressives want to rely on the government. This framing leads
progressives to futilely lash out against markets, rather than
examining the factors that lead to undesirable market outcomes. The
market is just a tool, and in fact a very useful one. It makes no more
sense to lash out against markets than to lash out against the wheel."
(Excerpted from Preface)